Florida's Scenic Rail Trail Near Orlando Takes Hikers And Bikers Through Forests And Wetlands

Central Florida is commonly associated with theme parks, and the ever-famous Walt Disney World Resort — plus its primary mascots, Mickey and Minnie Mouse — are synonymous with the region. Theme parks and other entertainment-based attractions have made this part of the Sunshine State a common destination for international tourists. However, many visitors miss out on the forests and wetlands that take up a significant portion of Central Florida's landscape. If you're looking for a natural escape from the theme park crowds far from Orlando's tourism corridor, you can make your way to a path that takes cyclists and hikers alike along a historic railway corridor: the East Central Regional Rail Trail.

Spanning just over 50 miles, the trail takes visitors through Central Florida's rural and suburban areas, winding through forests and wetlands from Deltona toward the city of Titusville on Florida's Space Coast. The East Central Regional Rail Trail began as a railroad line for transporting goods and passengers along the Florida East Coast Railway. After the railway was closed and abandoned in the 1970s — and after most of its tracks were removed — the state of Florida purchased the corridor in 2007 before leasing it to the counties of Volusia and Brevard. The two counties began transforming the former railroad corridor into a hike-and-bike "rail trail." The first portion of East Central Regional Rail Trail was completed after 14 years of construction, and today, a majority of the trail is part of the broader Florida Coast-to-Coast Trail.

The East Central Regional Rail Trail begins in Deltona at Green Springs Park, a 31-acre park nearly 30 miles north of Orlando that's home to one of Florida's only green sulfur springs. West of the park, the trail continues as the Spring-to-Spring Trail, a 25.7-mile paved trail that runs north from Deltona to De Leon Springs State Park, a scenic spring retreat that lies between Orlando and St. Augustine. Heading east from Green Springs Park, hikers and bikers traverse a stretch of forest before reaching the small town of Osteen. The segment between Deltona and Osteen was the very first to open to the public in 2011. Volusia County also built a large bridge on this segment of the trail to carry foot and bike traffic over State Road 415.

After leaving Osteen, the trail cuts through the Farmton Wildlife Management Area, a 59,000-acre plot of protected woodlands that sprawl across Volusia County. Within the wildlife area lies Maytown, an unincorporated community that was once a junction for the old Florida East Coast Railway. The town now connects to a spur route that heads north, paralleling Interstate 95 and ending in New Smyrna Beach, a wildly popular destination in Florida. Staying on the main trail, the East Central Regional Rail Trail crosses Interstate 95 and enters Brevard County. The trail also passes through the county's northern communities; after crossing the Indian River, it ends at Parrish Park in Titusville, next to the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

If you're looking for another hike-and-bike trail repurposed from abandoned infrastructure, head north of Orlando toward the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway, a world-class biking and paddling trail that traverses the route of a failed canal barge project. Alternatively, if you want to stay closer to Orlando, consider exploring the trails at Seminole State Forest, a scenic and peaceful escape for camping and fishing that ranks among Central Florida's hidden gems of nature.